Strings

by Ahnika Emery

Fifth and sixth grade Strings had a great concert in December and we are now working toward our future concerts. The 4^th grade Strings have a shared concert with chorus on March 30^th. This will be our first concert and we are very excited to play for everyone who attends. The 5^th and 6^th graders are beginning to work on music for our June 5^th concert which will also include the 4^th graders. We are currently learning new notes and techniques that are needed for the concert music. Students should continue to practice at home and complete their practice logs. We look forward to seeing everyone at our upcoming concerts!

Band

by Paul Erickson

Our Winter Concert was a rousing success! Since then we have been working our way through our method book to improve our skills so we can amaze parents at our Spring Concert. The Spring Concert will take place on June 5^th in the Westlawn Gym at 6:30pm. We will also do assembly concerts on the morning of June 5^th. Another exciting event coming up is the Solo and Ensemble Festival. This is a chance for students to play either a solo, duet or trio for a professional music judge. The judge will rate the student’s performance, and if a student earns a top score, they earn a medal which will be presented at the Spring Concert! The Solo and Ensemble event takes place on Saturday, April 29^th at Holmes Middle School. I will be sending information on how to sign up in an email soon once it is finalized. PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILDREN TO PRACTICE!!! Remember, best practice is for students to practice at least 10 minutes a day with a goal of doing 20 minutes a day in mind. Let me know if you have any questions!

General Music

by Jon Hamilton, Emma Pivetta, and Rosalyn Crews

All students grades K-6 have been learning new techniques and exploring some of the rich history of music. In February students learned about works of iconic Black American musicians such as Whitney Phipps and Michael Jackson. K-2 made hats, scarves, and gloves to wrap up their snowman unit. 3rd grade is learning to read music and play it on the recorder. 4th and 5th grade is sharpening their recorder and singing skills to perform with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra at the annual FSO Link Up Concert on April 25th. Sixth grade is growing their music literacy, building strong practice habits for the future, and joining morning drum circles.

Chorus

by Emma Pivetta

After celebrating a successful winter concert, the WES Chorus has welcomed new members and gotten to work on our Spring concert repertoire. In February we got to have a rehearsal and Q&A session with LJMS choral director Dr. Woods! We loved learning from Dr. Woods so much that many WES singers have already signed up to join her in seventh grade next year. Through the months we have been practicing vocal technique, singing in multiple languages, syncopation, and stage presence. Some singers have even spent their lunchtime rehearsing in the music room. We cannot wait to share what we’ve been working on with you at the spring concert shared with 4th grade strings Thursday, March 30th 6:30pm. Until then… practice, practice, practice!